anderson, nicole eggert. >> that's right, nicole eggert from "baywatch" and "charles in charge." it's "splash" america, get on board. i know what you're thinking. how do these celebrities prepare for such tough competition? turns out there's some pretty intense practicing. >> be careful. that's 35 feet. >> all right, all right, louis anderson, pipe down, she's trying to practice. speaking of louie anderson, he's arguably the breakout star from the first episode, ratcheting up the tension just moments before his dive. >> where's greg? greg, i've got to go up one more level. >> really? you can do it. >> seven. >> he has not done this. >> that's right, greg louganis, olympic hero and the trainer on the show is basically like god help us. and i love the look of horror on kendra wilkinson's face. kendra's facial expression will do for "splash" what nancy grace's nip slip did for "dancing with the stars."

but i digress. by the way, if you don't know who kendra is, i'm not speaking to you. back to louie anderson. all eyes were on him as he splashed down in the heart of prime time. >> a standing ovation from greg louganis, really? your move kareem abdul-jabbar. >> as kareem trained for tonight, he discovered, when it comes to diving, size, well, it really does matter. >> well done, joey lawrence. well done. never saw that one coming. all right, back to kareem's dive. >> oh! >> yikes. poor kareem abdul-jabbar. i think the look on his face as he gets out of the pool says it all. that is a man who is wondering why he is on that show and wolf blitzer is not. kareem was not the only one with a rough start.

chewy bravo got injured before the first episode and won't be able to dive, sadly. and the first contestant voted off the show, keshia knight-pulliam who played rudy huxtable on "the cosby show." what can i say? it's a ridiculous show and genius at the same time. all you skeptics can splash down on the ridiculist. skeptics, yo splashdown on the ridicu-list. that's it for us. breaking news, everyone. live pictures of president obama who just arrived in ramallah in the west bank. this is the second day of his trip to israel and the west bank and the entire region right now. he is scheduled to meet with palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas later today. you can see president obama with president abbas at this arrival ceremony in ramallah. it's already been an eventful day for the president in the region. two rockets did strike southern

israel earlier today, about 60 miles from jerusalem, where the president was. no changes to the president's schedule, though, as you just saw. he has arrived in ramallah in the west bank. john king is helping cover this trip. he is in jerusalem right now. good morning, john. >> reporter: good morning, john. this is a very important visit by the president. you heard when he was in israel yesterday, president netanyahu saying sure, i'll go back to the bargaining table. he urged the palestinians to come back with no preconditions. one of the preconditions of the palestinians was that mr. netanyahu stop construction in the west bank. interesting moment. those in israel believe president netanyahu has to say that but that he doesn't see an opportunity for peace. president abbas has said he wants to come back to the bargaining table but can he deliver the palestinians? those rockets fired just this morning from the palestinian territory of gaza, controlled by

hamas, of course. a reminder that mr. abbas speaks for the palestinian authority in the west bank but does not necessarily speak for the palestinians in gaza. president obama trying to navigate a very difficult challenge. he would like to get the peace process resumed. the question is, can you get people with the political will and the political ability back to the table? a big challenge for the president this morning. >> short of a full resumption of the peace process, which seems like a lofty goal, perhaps unachievable goal, what do you think the white house wants to get out of these meetings today, john? >> reporter: well, john, you make a very important point. again, there are questions about whether mr. netanyahu is willing to do what it takes for peace, there is questions about whether mr. abbas can do what it takes, delivering the palestinians. you don't want it raise expectations. you don't want to put the parties back at the table if those negotiations would quickly collapse. where does that leave you? the president's top priority is simply this. don't let things get worse. i've been in gaza and ramallah and also the palestinian

communities and israeli settlements in the west bank. by all accounts one thing p everybody agrees on is that tensions were rising again. there was a bit of a calm after the november skirmishes. there was a bit of a calm. tensions are rising now. rocket attacks on the roads around those israeli settlements and some talking about the possibility of another fatah. perhaps to lay the bricks of a foundation for peace talks several months down the road. >> of course, john, the neighborhood has seen its share of turmoil with this debate over whether chemical weapons are being used in syria. the president has already discussed that with benjamin t netanyahu. it could even come up with the palestinian leader today. >> reporter: i'm sitting in jerusalem. so -- and ramallah is eight miles from here in jerusalem.

when people talk about the possibility of chemical weapons being used in syria, it's not just about the regime versus the opposition, it's not just about the west. whether regime, jihadist groups have grabbed them, one of the big concerns -- you heard the president and prime minister talk about this yesterday. does syria's arsenal and weapons get in the hands of not just the opposition but hezbollah, hamas, other jihadist groups in this region? the word security takes on many different shapes, many different wrinkles. when you're meeting with the palestinian president it's normally about negotiations and security cooperations with israel. because of everything going on in this part of the world, it's a lot more complicated. and syria, including worries about the use of chemical weapons, you bet that would be a fkter as well. >> we're looking at live pictures of president obama and mahmoud abbas. we saw the president shaking

hands and reviewing the palestinian troops. >> similarities from yesterday, this is a red carpet reception, pomp and circumstance as well but protest that is will be greeting him as he lands there and goes through the region. >> jessica yellin is in ramallah, covering this trip. you've been talking to the white house for days now about this what is it that the white house wants to achieve with president ab abbas today? >> reporter: hi, john. hi, zoraida. they're hopeful that the president can begin to lay some kind of groundwork to help jump-start or restart the stalled move toward some kind of negotiations. they're not in any way, in the mind-set that this is actually going to lead to some peace deal that is any peace accords right now. they know that this isn't the beginning, but they do think that secretary kerry is coming back here at the end of the week

to try to lay the groundwork with benjamin netanyahu and israel to start some talks. president obama is here to, as he said, listen. he said in the press conference yesterday that his main role in this visit is to just listen to the palestinians. it's a lesson he learned from his mom, he said, because the palestinian palestinians often feel that they are not heard. and so he really wants to see what kind of mood there is now and what it would take to really prod some sort of discussion to come into action. and, you know, they felt a little bit neglected and it's the president's time to remind him that even though he has been working very closely with the israelis, he has not forgotten that he wants to create some sort of open space for peace talks to come into fruition with secretary kerry now at the state department. >> very interesting you bring up secretary kerry. a second ago, jess, we saw

president obama greeting secretary of state john kerry on the tarmac there. the secretary of state arrived in the region before the president. he will be in the region again just after the president leaves. the united states appears to be sending the message that the preside president's trip is just part of the overall goal here. >> reporter: right. so, one of the mixed messages we're getting around this trip is the white house has talked down expectations. we should not expect anything to come of this trip. this is largely not just this trip meaning ramallah, the west bank today, but the overall trip to the middle east is really making good to israel and touching base with the palestinians. but despite the low expectation s, there is still a colonel of

hope. the focus will be not so much on the palestinian end, but the israeli end, to see what it would take to bring israelis to the table. kerry will come back and have dinner with a member of the israeli cabinet to see where the israeli comfort level would be and what it would involve for israel to sit down and talk with president abbas and really see if peace talks could get going. there is hope in the administration this could happen, john. >> jessica, it's zoraida here. he has a full schedule for the day. can you walk us through what we can expect for the rest of the day? >> reporter: yeah. so after -- he'll take this meeting. he will be in the presidential compound for a few hours. he will hold -- you can't call it a press conference but he'll take a question from each side, from an american journalist and

palestinian journalist and af r after -- >> we seem to have lost jess' audio in ramallah right now. the president has a full schedule, as she said. the day will end with a state department with president shimon peres. dead sea scrolls, of enormous significance because they show a jewish presence in israel for thousands of years. >> he has had a lot of criticism for actually adding that to his schedule. it's one of these ying and yangs here. the palestinians are saying, what about us? what do we get as validation in this trip as well? >> it is always a very difficult jurpy. >> reporter: it is. >> whenever you travel to the middle east. the president walking that fine line, trying to please all sides. >> yes. >> we'll have much more on the

president's middle east trip. we'll stalk with stuart holliday. independent investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in syria. president bashar al assad and his government accusing opposition of using them in aleppo. the opposition pointing its collective finger at the syrian government. as both sides continue to squabble, u.s. officials are trying to get proof that chemical weapons were used at all. pentagon correspondent barbara starr is following all these developments for us. she is joining us live. where are we right now on this, barbara? >> good morning, zoraida. u.s. intelligence community is conducting its own investigation as to what happened there and we have new details. as more pictures emerged of hospitalized syrians, cnn has learned u.s. intelligence

agencies are in a massive around-the-clock effort to determine if these people were attacked by chemical weapons. so far, u.s. officials say there is no corroboration. >> so far, we have no evidence to substantiate the reports that chemical weapons were used. >> reporter: in a classified briefing to congress, intelligence officials said it's not clear what happened. but cnn has learned new details about how the cia is trying to figure out exactly what did happen here. u.s. intelligence operatives are now talking to rebels and defectors to see what they know. at ft. dietrich, maryland, these videos are being analysised by the classified medical weapons unit. military analysts are looking at the patients' symptoms and conditions along with reports from seyrian doctors to see if the symptoms of suffocation and

c convulsions match a chemical attack. movement of chemical weapons or launches of missiles that could have carried chemical warheads. intercepts of cell phone and internet traffic for chatter about attacks. now, officials tell us because the u.s. has no properatives an no u.s. military on the ground inside syria, this is going to be very tough to prove. it may take them some time, if ever, to figure out exactly what happened here. zoraida? >> president obama referred to this as a game changer. if, indeed, these reports are confirmed, what would be the response? >> well, you know, president obama has talked a lot about that red line of chemical weapons used in syria. all indications are if they were to prove this, they would again start working through the international community, get some kind of consensus on how to

move ahead. but if -- if there was an order from u.s. military action, there certainly are u.s. fighters in southern europe as well as u.s. navy warships, surface ships and submarines in the mediterranean that could carry out. same-sex marriage, how it says that gay parents will affect children. we'll tell you all about it, coming up next. with garden veggies and egg. fancy feast mornings. the best ingredient is love. then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love.

arrival. with hertz gold plus rewards, you skip the counters, the lines, and the paperwork. zap. it's our fastest and easiest way to get you into your car. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. a hairline fracture to the mandible and contusions to the metacarpus. what do you see? um, i see a duck. be more specific. i see the aflac duck. i see the aflac duck out of work and not making any money. i see him moving in with his parents and selling bootleg dvds out of the back of a van.

dude, that's your life. remember, aflac will give him cash to help cover his rent, car payments and keep everything as normal as possible. i see lunch. [ monitor beeping ] let's move on. [ male announcer ] find out what a hospital stay could really cost you at aflac.com. [ male announcer ] all stations come over tol stay mithis is for real this time. step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers.

if you're looking to go to school, you deserve more than just flexibility and convenience. so here's a few reasons to choose university of phoenix. our average class size is only 14 students. our financial tools help you make smart choices about how to pay for school. our faculty have, on average, over 16 years of field experiene. we'll help you build a personal career plan. we build programs based on what employers are looking for. our football team, is always undefeated. and leading companies are interested in our graduates. we'll even help you decorate your new office. ok. let's get to work. welcome back. 16 minutes past the hour. the search is still on for a cold-blooded killer. family of tom clemens says they lost a devoted husband and father. he was shot in cold blood tuesday night as he opened the front door to his home right outside of denver.

authorities have not identified a suspect or a motive. but they want to talk to a woman who may have been seen walking in the area. investigators are also looking for the driver of a car seen in clemens' neighborhood the night of the murder. cnn's jim spellman is live for us. is there anything new this morning? do they have any leads? >> they have the promising lead in that car but still no description of the driver and no suspect. police scouring for potential lead notice shooting death of the head of colorado's prison system, as he answered the door of his home. >> because of the position he held, there could be any number of people who may or may not have had a motive to perpetrate a crime like this against him. >> reporter: so far, few leads. a car seen idling nearby at the time of the shooting. >> described as aa late '90s model, boxy style two-door.

similar to a '90s style lincoln. we're not definitively saying it was a lincoln. >> reporter: numerous cameras. police are checking to see if they can spot the car. as police pursue the killer, colorado's governor signed controversial gun control legislation that requires universal background checks and bans high-capacity magazines. >> as far as we know, two completely unrelated subjects. tom clemens was someone who worked in what is often times a cold, dark world with a remarkably open and generous heart. he would have expected us to sign these bills and go forward today. it's just the kind of man he was. >> reporter: the governor was less composed earlier in the day when he remembered the man he had to cajole to take the job. >> our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, lisa, their two

daughters, all the employees of the department of corrections who tom worked so hard with. >> reporter: police are looking to speak with a woman who was seen exercising in the area of the crime right around the time of the shooting. they say she's not a suspect but hope she might have more information, especially about the driver of that car seen in the neighborhood. while police are focusing on any connection to the prison system, they're quick to say they've yet to rule anything out. zoraida? >> jim spellman ma live live in for us. we'll get more information with paula presley. no plea deal for ft. hood massacre suspect massage nidal hasan. his lawyer filed motions indicating he was willing to plead guilty under certain scenarios but the court-martial judge rejected those. federal authorities

revealing a saudi native described as a hardened al qaeda terrorist has been secretly held in new york since october. best known to authorities by the nickname spin ghul was extradited from italy, due in court tomorrow on a hearing of charges, including conspiring to bomb government facilities. charged with sexually assaulting two 13-year-old girls and the victims are reportedly being taunted and harassed online. football players edgar gonzalez and johan terivio have been suspended from school and are cooperating fully with police. >> we want to assure our school community that we are very concerned about the safety and wellness of all of our students and that all possible steps are being taken to keep our students safe in school. >> of course, charges in this

case come days after two high school football players in steubenville, ohio, were convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl. it is 20 minutes past the hour. american academy of pediatrics is coming out in support of same-sex marriage. the academy announced its support in a ten-page report. the group says it studied scientific literature from the past four years. the study found that children's well-being is affected much more by the strength of family relationships than by the parents' sexual orientation. coming up, when will the economy be healthy enough to stand on its own? according to fed chief ben bernanke, not for a while. we'll tell you all about it, coming up next. [ bop ] you can do that all you want, i don't like v8 juice. [ male announcer ] how about v8 v-fusion. a full serving of vegetables, a full serving of fruit. but what you taste is the fruit. so even you... could've had a v8. glass on floors. daily chores. for the little mishaps you feel use neosporin to help you heal. it kills germs so you heal four days faster.

neosporin. use with band-aid brand bandages. neosporin. i go to angie's list to gauge whether or not the projects will be done in a timely fashion and within budget. angie's list members can tell you which provider is the best in town. you'll find reviews on everything from home repair to healthcare. now that we're expecting, i like the fact that i can go onto angie's list and look for pediatricians. the service providers that i've found on angie's list actually have blown me away. join today and find out why over 1 million members count on angie's list. angie's list -- reviews you can trust. many cereals say they're good for your heart, but did you know there's a cereal that's recommended by doctors? it's post shredded wheat. recommended by nine out of ten doctors to help reduce the risk of heart disease. post shredded wheat is made with only one ingredient: one hundred percent whole grain wheat, with no added sugar or salt. try adding fruit for more health benefits and more taste in your bowl. it's the ideal way to start your heart healthy day.

try post shredded wheat. this has been medifacts for post shredded wheat. >> announcer: you never know when, but thieves can steal your identity and turn your life upside down. >> hi. >> hi. you know, i can save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> you just read my mind. >> announcer: just one little piece of information and they can open bogus accounts, stealing your credit, your money and ruining your reputation. that's why you need lifelock to relentlessly protect what matters most... [beeping...] helping stop crooks before your identity is attacked. and now you can have the most comprehensive identity theft protection available today... lifelock ultimate. so for protection you just can't get anywhere else, get lifelock ultimate. >> i didn't know how serious identity theft was until i lost my credit and eventually i lost my home. >> announcer: credit monitoring is not enough, because it tells you after the fact, sometimes as much as 30 days later. with lifelock, as soon as our

network spots a threat to your identity, you'll get a proactive risk alert, protecting you before you become a victim. >> identity theft was a huge, huge problem for me and it's gone away because of lifelock. >> announcer: while no one can stop all identity theft, if criminals do steal your information, lifelock will help fix it, with our $1 million service guarantee. don't wait until you become the next victim. you have so much to protect and nothing to lose when you call lifelock now to get two full months of identity theft protection risk free. that's right, 60 days risk-free. use promo code: gethelp. if you're not completely satisfied, notify lifelock and you won't pay a cent. order now and also get this shredder to keep your documents out of the wrong hands-- a $29 dollar value, free. get protected now. call the number on your screen or go to lifelock.com to try lifelock protection risk free for a full 60 days. use promo code: gethelp. plus get this document shredder

free-- but only if you act right now. call the number on your screen now! look at that beautiful sight. >> the capital of planet earth. there she is, where all the wheeling and dealing is going on all day, minding your business this morning. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke. christine romans is here with that. >> that's right. the fed is cautious. they'll continue to keep their pedal to the metal and stimulate the economy. washington is paralyzed with politics but the fed has a massive stimulus program under way supporting the u.s. economy. when will the economy be able to fend for itself without bernanke and company?

bernanke says it could take several years. sure, the labor market popped adding 276,000 new jobs. but he is using history as a guide saying it isn't quite good enough. >> we've seen periods before where we had as many as 300,000 jobs for a couple of months and then things weakened again. i think an important criterion would be will it be sustain for the record months? >> 7.3% to 7.5% jobless rate, that's an improvement from the 7.7% rate we v still too high but an improvement. he dialed back his expectations for economic growth, saying it will stable at .3%. that was a stumble for the most recent quarter. it's not enough to meaningfully lower the jobless rate when you have growth that slow.

bernanke is going to keep throwing money into the economy. that's the upshot here. $83 billion each month. the economy isn't ready to lose its traping wheels just yet but bernanke looking off into the distance and trying to figure out when that will be, a winddown of the stimulus in the economy. futures kind of around -- all over the board this morning. we're watching china. we'll have jobs and housing data in the u.s. still a lot of tea leaves to read about what's happening with jobs in the american economy right now. >> we'll have a lot more. >> we will. bus driver literally kicking a special needs student off the bus. what police say happened, coming up next. k on me ♪ [ female announcer ] band-aid brand has quiltvent technology with air channels to let boo boos breathe. [ giggles ] [ female announcer ] quiltvent technology, only from band-aid brand. use with neosporin first aid antibiotic.

[ male announcer ] why do more emergency workers everywhere trust duracell...?? duralock power preserve. locks in power for up to 10 years in storage. now...guaranteed. duracell with duralock. trusted everywhere. duracell with duralock. ♪♪ ♪ ♪ geico motorcycle. see how much you could save. great first gig! let's go! party! awwwww... arigato! we are outta here!

party...... finding you the perfect place, every step of the way. hotels.com [ dog ] you know, i just don't think i should have to wait for it! who do you think i am, quicken loans? ♪ at quicken loans, we won't make you wait for it. our efficient, online system allows us to get you through your home loan process fast. which means you'll never have to beg for a quick closing. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. bonkers, look at me when i'm talking to you.

obama is in ramallah, meeting with president abbas. will securing a lasting peace be on the table? expectations are low. we are live with the latest. so-called craigslist killer is closer to learning his fate. the jury's sentence, we'll tell you. newly released video of a bus driver literally kicking the student off a bus. we'll tell you what happened in this particularly outrageous incident. >> wow! welcome back to "early start." i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. second leg of his historic middle east visit. the trip already marred by violence. two rockets fired from gaza, landing in the southern israeli city of sderot. it appeared a few hours ago while the president was still in

jerusalem, about 60 miles away. there are reports of property damage but there are no injuries reported. chief white house correspondent jessica yellin is live from ramallah in the west bank this morning. how have the rockets affected what the president hopes to accomplish today? >> reporter: hi, zoraida. good morning. it frank ly is not going to stad in the way of the president's agenda. it has not changed his schedule at all. the white house isn't commenting on the rocket attacks but unfortunately these sort of things are all too common in israel. and so the white house, clearly the secret service did not feel it was a threat in any way to the president and so didn't feel it was necessary to alter his movement. so the president, as you point out, is here, meeting with the leader of the palestinian authority. he is in a bilateral meeting right now. i was here in the presidential

compound in ramallah as there are four blackhawk helicopters all together that landed here. and the presidential team of several dozens of people came by. they're all in closed door meetings now. the president's goal essentially is to see what it would take for the palestinians to sit down and resume talks with the israelis, to head toward a peace. fundamentally, the difference right now is about the israeli settlements, israeli home building in land that palestinians believe is and should be part of a future palestinian state. the palestinians think that the israelis should not continue building them and that should be a so-called precondition of any talks. the israelis do not want that to be a so-called precondition. and so that is sort of a struggle before they even begin, zoraida. >> announcing that the expectations are low, that's a little shocking to me. as everybody is hoping that these talks of peace will actually resume and lead to

something. jessica yellin, live for us in ramallah. thank you. joining us now to talk about all of this is stuart holliday, president and ceo of a public diplomacy organization that works with the state department. is he formally the u.s. ambassador for special political affairs to the united nations. good morning, mr. ambassador. thank you so much for coming in. >> nice to be here. >> let me ask you about these rockets that hit in the southern city of s zechlt rot. you're involved in the world of diplomacy. when something like this happens when you're on a trip like this, does that tend to derail things or do you just have to keep focus and move on? >> it's a question of scale. what we see here, as jessica said, is all too common. it's a reminder that the palestinian authority doesn't control gaza. that underscores, i think, the weakness that we face in terms of the talks restarting, the fact that the palestinian government isn't unified, also a reminder to everyone how vulnerable southern israel is to these attacks.

>> you get a sense that the hopes that the palestinians raised when president obama first took office in 2009, gave that speech in cairo. there were raised expectations of palestinians there. now there is a sense of a bit of disappointment. how do you think they look upon the president's visit today? >> i think it's a mixed bag. first of all, they were very excited when the president laid out an agenda, which talked about reinvigorating the talks. he gave george mitchell and secretary clinton and now secretary kerry the mandate to push for a two-state solution. it's been difficult. i do think this is a significant visit. his first visit as president and secretary kerry obviously has come earlier and is going to be staying later and doing a little shuttle diplomacy. the palestinians are very skeptical. but i do believe that they would view the president's visit and look for any opportunity to get these talks restarted. of course, they've been on the sidelines, waiting for what they

see as a critical issue, the settlements to halt. israelis have said, look, we're ready to talk at any point as long as you don't put p preconditions on these talks. >> i'm glad you brought that up. ambassador, i'm glad you brought that up. really interesting report in "the new york times" today says an internal palestinian memo suggests that president abbas may no longer call for the israelis to publicly state they will halt the settlements. in other words, they're not going to make that a precondition to negotiations anymore. if this is true, would that be a significant development here, something that could get them back to the table? >> it would be very significant. and what president abbas has to do, though, is balance domestic pressure. is he going to be the first palestinian leader to, in effect, acknowledge that the facts on the ground from 1968 to now are going to be dictated by what we have as a so-called agreement that part of the west bank, part of jerusalem or all of jerusalem is going to be part

of israel? i do think it would be very significant if it happens. they'll probably look for some wording or some way to kind of get through to allow president abbas to save face again because he's really the only partner the israelis have for peace if they are interested in that. >> a lot has been made of the relationship of president obama with president netanyahu. there was an abundance of smiles yesterday. talk to me about the body language you think we will see and are already seeing today between president obama and president mahmoud abbas. in some ways it looked a little stiff to me. >> president abbas is of an older generation. he is, of course, you know, not a -- i guess you would say a hugger, despite the fact that there is a customary greeting in the arab world of an embrace, as there has been in other parts of the world. i think there is obviously some sense of disappointment, as

you've eluded to in the beginning of your segment, as to what the expectations r for president obama obviously there's been a lot of work with president abbas. there is a channel, a relationship. but the body language, frankly, with prime minister netanyahu, despite the fact that it was very positive yesterday, really sort of masks what has been called a very tense relationship in the past. i wouldn't read too much into the body language piece. >> a smile only means so much. stuart holliday, former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. security council, thank you. >> thank you. we will talk to hanan a ashrawi. and later george mitchell, he, too, deeply engaged in the peace process. he will be with us as well. this just in to cnn. police in chicago are investigating an early morning shooting at a nightclub that injured at least seven people in chicago.

the shooting believed to be gang related. this happened just after 1:00 am at club g's on the city's south side. there had been an album release party for an unnamed rapper. six men and a woman have all been taken to hospitals. none of the injuries appear to be life threatening. no arrests so far. dazzled and concerned. a senate hearing tackles the use of drones within the united states. experts testifying that drones can have practical applications, monitoring crops and livestock, looking at damage to buildings, perhaps. but lawmakers express concern, saying new legislation may be needed to protect americans' privacy and their safety. >> i think there is a real concern that the day-to-day conduct of american citizens going about their business might be monitored, cataloged and recorded by the federal government. and i, for one, would have very

deep concerns about that. >> according to a u.s. official, the obama administration is seriously considering shifting lethal drone operations from the cia to the u.s. military for the sake of greater transparency. the military would reportedly operate and fly the drones but targeting would still be done jointly among the agency. no final decisions have been made and there's no specific timeframe either. jury in ohio recommending the death penalty for so-called craigslist killer richard beasley, found guilty of murdering three men who answered a craigslist ad for work on a cattle farm in 2011. the judge will hand down the formal sentence next week. not guilty plea from the idaho man accused of slapping a crying baby on a plane. there's his picture right there. lawyers for him say he denies hitting the baby but admits using a racial slur. the 60-year-old, they say, was

under a lot of stress, having to decide whether to remove his only son from life support after an insulin overdose left him in a coma. the son died the day after that flight. shocking newly released video this morning of a school bus driver in florida literally kicking a student off of her bus. this incident happened last fall. police are just releasing the images now. tampa police say an 8-year-old special needs student slapped the driver, stephanie wilkerson, after being told to wait her turn getting off the bus. security camera shows wilkerson giving the student a swift kick as the girl spits the bus. she can be heard saying, quote, i would buy a belt if she were mine. she would not hit adults ever again. so, apparently wilkerson was fired after this incident. >> that was a special needs child. 41 minutes past the hour. coming up, we're following the meeting between president obama and abbas.

"early start" back in a moment. by building custom security solutions that integrate video, access control, fire and intrusion protection. all backed up with world-class monitoring centers, thousands of qualified technicians, and a personal passion to help protect your business. when your business is optimized like that, there's no stopping you. we are tyco integrated security. and we are sharper. try align. it's the number one ge recommended probiotic c" that helps maintain digestive balance. ♪ stay in the groove with align. ♪ need help keeping your digestive balance in sync? try align. it's a probiotic that fortifies your digestive system with healthy bacteria 24/7. because your insides set the tone. stay in the groove with align. then you'll love lactose-free lactaid®

it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love. for 25 years, today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. but with advair, i'm breathing better.

so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both an anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking advair. if you're still having difficulty breathing, ask your doctor if including advair could help improve your lung function. get your first full prescription free and save on refills at advaircopd.com.

welcome back to "early start." 44 minutes past the hour. by the way, happy birthday. i had to. i had to. competing written requests to the u.n. for independent investigation into the possible use of chemical weapons in syria. president bashar al assad claims that opposition used chemical weapons, the opposition saying exactly the opposite of that, that the syrian government actually used those weapons. a number of officials, including the u.s. ambassador to syria, says so far there is no evidence to substantiate those reports. two police snipers took down a desperate man holding a toddler hostage in ft. wayne, india indiana. earlier he pulled his ex-girlfriend off a bus and fatally shot her. he ended up in a house and held the 3-year-old hostage before

snipers got a clear shot. they took it. the child was not hurt, thankfully. facing a $1 billion deficit, chicago public school system is making some really big changes. ceo barbara byrd bennett says the district's underutilized skols will be closed. they have not said how many schools are expected to close but opponents say they unfairly target minorities. 24 and counting for the miami heat. but it was not easy. it hasn't been easy the last few games. lebron james and company came back from 27 points down in the third. >> can you believe that? >> beat his old team, the cleveland cavaliers 98-95. a triple-double. 12 boards, 10 assists. the heat are now within nine games of the nba record for consecutive wins held by the '71-'72 los angeles lakers. >> do you think they'll do it? >> no. they almost blew it against the

celtics, almost blew it against the cavs. they are the best team i've seen in years. i don't think they should ever lose necessarily but that's a lot of games to win in a row. >> i can't believe they were down that much and came back. >> i can't believe you can do that every night. >> i think they're doing it on purpose. recovered from the ocean floor, treasure trove from space. coming up next. if you're leaving the house right now, watch us any time on your desktop or mobile. go to cnn.com/tv. gourmet cat food.east mornis mornings are delicious protein rich entrees with garden veggies and egg. fancy feast mornings. the best ingredient is love. departure. hertz gold plus rewards also offers ereturn-- our fastest way to return your car. just note your mileage and zap ! you're outta there ! we'll e-mail your receipt in a flash, too. it's just another way you'll be traveling at the speed of hertz. the blissful pause

just before that rich sweetness touches your lips. the delightful discovery, the mid-sweetening realization that you have the house all to yourself. well, almost. the sweet reward, making a delicious choice that's also a smart choice. splenda no-calorie sweetener. with the original sugar-like taste you love and trust. splenda makes the moment yours.

...and we inspected his brakes for free. -free is good. -free is very good. [ male announcer ] now get 50% off brake pads and shoes at meineke.

50 minutes past the hour. let's get you up-to-date. president obama in the west bank, second stop in the middle east, holding talks with president mahmoud abbas. rockets landed in the southern city of sderot while the president was in jerusalem. the attack caused property

damage but no reports of injuries. the man who became pope, archbishop brigolio, now pope francis, said that he would support same-sex marriage. >> it looked like it was going to pass in argentina. as a compromise he said, look, we want to come out for human rights. let's support same-sex civil union. for the first time in six years, they voted him down. >> argentina ultimately approved legalizing same-sex marriage. father beck will join us on "starting point" at 8:30 am eastern time. stay tuned for that. baseball's biggest rivals will set aside their differences briefly on opening day to honor the victims of the newtown massacre, a moment of silence at yankee stadium before the new york yankees take on the boston

red sox. commissioner bud selig is asking all major league teams to wear special ribbons on their uniforms to remember those 26 victims. >> red sox and yankees have actually come together for charitable events. it's a wonderful thing. >> it is. recovery teams have brought up two rocket jips from the apollo space missions. to find, recover and restore these engines. serial numbers have worn out. it's hard to tell what missions they were used for when they were launched into space. that's very cool to recover these engines. >> it is. when will spring finally start showing its colors? i don't expect it to ever start at this point. >> anybody's guess. >> no. >> hopefully, we can find better news from jennifer delgado in the weather center. >> it's officially on the books

but problem is, we're still seeing snow. flurries through new york, washington, d.c. and the same for areas like hartford. this little band moving through again, seeing light flurries from around through 9:00, 10:00 am. big snow coming down. of course, lake effect. another day between four and nine inches of snowfall. they picked up a lot yesterday. and that lake effect warning is in place until tomorrow morning. we move over toward the midwest. a new storm developing, bringing it through parts of nebraska, kansas. this will be a big snow maker for areas, including the ozarks, two to four inches and four to six inches in some parts and we're going to add in some sleet as well. be careful on the roadway. that will start to get into its act later on in the afternoon. the texas panhandle, we are talking about severe storms popping up. big rain and snow out in the pacific northwest once again but

sunny in the south, cloudy in the northeast and temperatures once again running 20 degrees below average for this time of the year, for chicago. high today, 34 degrees. minneapolis, 25. atlanta, 52. that feels really bad here. let's talk more about this snow. we have video coming out of milwaukee. now we do know that opening day is two weeks away. this is miller park. look at this video. john, zoraida. you're seeing them shoveling big-time snow out of there. they have to get this all out of here the next two weeks. you better hope there is no more snow. i am not endorsing milwaukee brewers. >> good for you. >> not saying they're a bad team. >> we all want to head to our baseball games but the snow will be a huge impediment. >> baseball is happening. mother nature better catch on. >> it is. >> all right. thank you. still ahead on "early start" we'll go back to ramallah where president obama has arrived for talk with his palestinian president mahmoud abbas. they will be speaking from the

podiums in a little while. we'll bring it to you live when it happens. tina fey revives her impression of sarah palin in "the actor's studio." who you ar. you can part a crowd, without saying a word... if you have yet to master the quiet sneeze... you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts... well muddlers, muddle no more. try zyrtec®. it gives you powerful allergy relief. and zyrtec® is different than claritin® because zyrtec® starts working at hour one on the first day you take it. claritin® doesn't start working until hour three. zyrtec®. love the air. [ female announcer ] stress sweat is different than ordinary sweat. it smells worse. get 4x the protection against stress sweat. introducing new secret clinical strength stress response scent.

no they don't. hey son. have fun tonight. ♪ ♪ back against the wall ♪ ain't nothin to me ♪ ain't nothin to me [ crowd murmurs ] hey! ♪ [ howls ] ♪ [ howls ] great first gig! let's go! party! awwwww... arigato! we are outta here!

party...... finding you the perfect place, every step of the way. hotels.com

welcome back to "early start" on this great, happy morning. we're taking a look at the top trends online this morning. teen ra if a with an encore during an interview with james lipton of "inside the actor's studio," her impression of sarah palin. take a look. >> you know, jimmy, i believe

that if everybody had guns, then there would be fewer guns in the stores. >> same-sex marriage, what is your view on that? >> well, the bible says it's gros gross. >> no same-sex marriage? >> uh-uh. marriage is meant for people who wear dimp kinds of swimsuits. >> "early start" continues right now. right now, president obama meeting with palestinian president mahmoud abbas before they meet the press this hour. we'll go live when they do. is "the tonight show" returning to its roots? i'm talking about new york. rumors swirling, jay leno may be out, jimmy stepping in. intrigue. >> lots of intrigue. welcome to "early start." it is mr. john berman's happy

birthday today. happy birthday. i'm done now. >> we are not observing, though. i am john berman, as she said, and i am old. happening now, president obama in the west bank for talks with the palestinians hours after an early morning rocket attack in southern israel. two rockets fired from gaza while the president was still in jerusalem, about 60 miles away. we're getting reports of property damage but so far no injuries. this is the second leg of the president's visit. he has already had talks with israeli leaders on three critical issues, iran, syria and the west bank. he is expected to sit down with president mahmoud abbas for a working lunch. is he already meeting with president abbas, i should say. after that, the two leader also address the immediatea. we'll take that live as soon as it happens. he returns to israel for a state dinner hosting by israeli

president shimon peres. the president is meeting with mahmoud abbas right now, jess. any concrete solutions they're looking for in this meeting? >> reporter: nothing that he plans to announce when he comes out, john. the goal today is really for the president to see what it would take for palestinians to go back to the negotiating table and begin the process to talk again about reaching a peace agreement. those peace discussions stalled out back in 2010. there's been stalemate since then. the president deliberately came to the middle east, he said, without some sort of obama accord, if you will, or a specific road map to peace. he said that he came here to listen. he said his mom taught him that's the best way to approach these kinds of situations. he made a joke about that. his mom was an expert in these

things, as you recall, an anthropologist. a much better listener when he is traveling overseas, maybe not so much with congress. he is meeting with abbas and -- go ahead. >> i was going to say, republican congressmen might have a different view of his negotiating tactics generally. jess, i should say, you look at these schedules, trips like this, it is a very delicate thing. how much time is he spending in the west bank versus how much time is he giving the israelis? are we talking about equal time on this trip? >> reporter: yeah, not equal time. he is spending about four hours total here in the west bank and that's, you know, a choice because he's really come to, in a sense, balance out his first overseas trip of his first term with his to visit the arab world. his first overseas trip of his

second term is now a visit to the jewish homeland, israel. this trip is really focused on israel. he is doing just four hours in the west bank. after his meeting here, he will do a lunch and then he visits a cultural center in the west bank and then he goes back over into jerusalem and a series of events, including a speech, a major speech that is a highlight and a focus of this trip where he speaks to israel's youth. that's this afternoon, john. >> jess, what do we know about that speech? again, he is speaking to israeli youth, university student. that's interesting in and of itself, mostly because of who he is choosing not to speak to. >> reporter: yes. such a good point. he is not speaking, you're pointing out, to the israeli legislature. and many foreign leaders come and do address the legislature. and, you know, one of the reasons it's said he's not doing that is because they can get very boisterous, outspoken and

engage the speaker while he's speaking. that may not be very comfortable. he wants to speak directly to the people, something he does in the u.s., often through youtube. he is also trying to connect with people in israel who don't always hold the highest opinion of him. not necessarily at -- he's not disliked here. it's just a neutral opinion. and he's trying to connect with israelis and share with them his views and he has already said that he will outline a little bit more of what he believes should take place to bring both sides to the negotiating table for a peace deal. so look for that, in part, today in that speech, john. >> we will be watching. jessica yellin with the president in ramallah this morning. thanks so much, jess. in the next half hour, we'll have much more on the president's middle eastern trip and the challenges he faces.

we'll speak with stuart holliday, former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. security council. independent investigation to the possible use of chemical weapons in syria. president bashar al assad accusing oppositionists of using them in aleppo. the opposition pointing its collective finger to the syrian government. as both sides continue to squabble, u.s. government is trying to get proof that chemical weapons were use d. barbara starr is following all these developments for us. there's an interesting article in the "new york times" that says some american officials worried a lot about whether the syrian government was accusing rebels of using the weapons to prepare cover for its own future use of them, barbara. >> well, good morning, zoraida. that certainly is one consideration that u.s. officials are looking at, as they begin to conduct their own intelligence investigation into whether or not chemical weapons

were used. as more pictures emerge of hospitalized syrians, u.s. intelligence agencies are in a massive, around-the-clock effort to determine if these people were attacked by chemical weapon s. so far, u.s. officials say there is no corroboration. >> so far, we have no evidence to substantiate the reports that chemical weapons were used. >> reporter: in a classified briefing to congress, intelligence officials said it's not clear what happened, but cnn has learned new details about how the cia is trying to figure out exactly what did happen here. u.s. intelligence operatives are now talking to rebels and defectors to see what they know. at ft. dietrich, maryland, these photos are being analyzed by the pentagon's classified medical unit. officials tell cnn military

analysts are looking at the patients' symptoms and conditions, along with reports from syrian doctors to see if the symptoms of suffocation and convulsions match a potential chemical attack. intelligence analysts are also looking at satellite imagery to identify movement of chemical weapons or launches of missiles that could have carried chemical warheads. they're looking at intercepts of cell phone and internet traffic for chatter about attacks. now, one of the problems, of course, is the u.s. has no military personnel, none of its own intelligence operatives on the ground inside syria. so, officials tell us it may be very difficult to figure out what really happened here. zoraida? >> barbara starr live at the pentagon. thank you. new overnight, tough talk from north korea, issuing new threats to the united states. pyongyang expressing anger that the u.s. is flying b-52s over

south korea. military bases within guam are, quote, within striking distance of north korean weapons. a major hacking attack on the servers of south korean banks and broadcasters originated from an ip address in china. north korea is still the prime suspect because they previously used a chinese ip address on hacking attacks of a south korean newspaper. prices on their heads and the u.s. is put iting up the bounty. said to be part of a group linked to al qaeda. both are believed to have planned attacks on americans. the state department is offering up to $5 million for each man's arrest. vice president joe biden teaming up with mayor michael bloomberg of new york city and families affected by the newtown school massacre to take on gun violence. at a conference in new york city hall they'll be calling for passage of neufeld gun laws that

so far are struggling to find support in congress. limiting the number of rounds in magazines to ten bullets. >> you can't get the deer in three shots, you shouldn't be hunting. you're an embarrassment. putting ten rounds, limiting it to ten rounds makes a difference. makes a difference in terms of how many shots you can get off before someone can intervene. >> meantime, new york governor andrew cuomo tells "new york times" that he is in favor of changing the tough new gun law to allow ten rounds of magazines instead of seven because seven-round magazines currently are not manufactured. that law is set to take effect april 15th. we may narrowly avoid a government shutdown with a few days to spare even. the house is expected to vote on a short-term budget measure today that would keep the government funded beyond march 27th. the senate passed a six-month

budget measure yesterday that keeps most of the automatic across the board budget cuts in place. >> this may be the first story people looked at when they got the paper this morning. big changes coming in late night. "new york times" reporting that nbc is set to have jimmy fallon replace jay leno as the host of "the tonight show." this may be the real shocker, though. the network plans to bring "the tonight show" back to new york. here is what fallon said in last night's monologue. >> i have to talk about the rumors that came out today which says i'll be moving up to 11:30 or, as my parents call it, still too late. actually, the rumors are true. nbc is turning "the tonight show" into a diving competition. so exciting. >> fallon making reference to the new celebrity reality show called "splash." the only thing not set in stone right now is nbc's timetable for the change. >> let the rumor mills swirl. what's in a name?

controversy over the washington redskins team name is make iings way to the halls of congress. what ten lawmakers want to do about the nfl's trademark. that's coming up next. party! awwwww... arigato! we are outta here! party...... finding you the perfect place, every step of the way. hotels.com

if youthen this willbrids arbe a nice surprise. meet the 5-passenger ford c-max hybrid. c-max come. c-max go. c-max give a ride to everyone it knows. c max has more passenger volume than competitor prius v and we haven't even mentioned... c-max also gets better mpg. say hi to the super fuel efficient ford c-max hybrid. starts with freshly-made pasta, and 100% real cheddar cheese. but what makes stouffer's mac n' cheese best of all. that moment you enjoy it at home. stouffer's. made with care for you or your family.

woman: what do you mean, homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods? [ heart rate increases ] man: a few inches of water caused all this? [ heart rate increases ] woman #2: but i don't even live near the water. what you don't know about flood insurance may shock you -- including the fact that a preferred risk policy starts as low as $129 a year. for an agent, call the number that appears on your screen.

we are following new developments this morning in the manhunt for a killer in colorado who gunned down the head of the state's correction department. the family of 58-year-old tom clements say they lost a devoted husband and father. he was shot tuesday night as he answered the front door of his home outside denver. investigators have not identified a suspect or motive. they're looking for the driver of a car seen in the neighborhood the night of the murder. cnn's jim spellman is live in denver. such a troubling story. what's the latest? >> it's really hit a lot of people in the law enforcement community here really personally that somebody would go after an official like that. as you mentioned, that car is still the number one lead in the case. but they still don't have a description of the driver. take a look. police scouring for potential leads in the shooting death of the head of colorado's prison system, tom clements, as he answered the front door to his home. >> we're very sensitive to the fact that because of the position he held, there may be a

number of people who may or may not have a motive to perpetrate a crime like this against him. >> reporter: a car seen idling nearby at the time of the shooting. >> that vehicle is described as a late '90s model boxy style two-door, something similar perhaps to a '90s model lincoln, although we're not definitively saying it is a lincoln. >> reporter: the same witness who saw the car idling near the crime scene minutes later saw it driving on this road near interstate 25, near the on-ramp are numerous cameras. police are checking them to see if they can spot the car. colorado's golfer signed controversial gun control legislation requires universal background checks and bans high-capacity magazines. >> as far as we know two completely unrelated subjects and tom clements worked in what is often times a cold, dark world with a remarkably open and generous heart. he would have expected us to

sign these bills and go forward today. it's just the kind of man he was. >> reporter: the governor was less composed earlier in the day when he remembered the man who he had to cajole to take the job. >> our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, lisa, and their two daughters. certainly with all the employees of the department of corrections who tom worked so hard with. >> reporter: investigators are hoping to speak with a woman who was seen near the scene of the crime out exercising. they hope that maybe she can help fill in a picture and get a description of the driver of the car. police here say that though they are looking for a connection to the prison system in which mr. clements worked, they're keeping all their options opening. >> jim spellman, thanks. later on "starting point" we'll get reaction from paula presley, the undersheriff. let's get you up-to-date, shall we? saudi native described as a hardened al qaeda terrorist has

been secretly held in new york since october. best known by the nickname spin ghul was extradited from italy. he will be in court tomorrow on a series of charges, including conspiracy to bomb government facilities. two high school football play players in connecticut, it their alleged victims, two 13-year-old girls, reportedly being taunted and harassed online. edgar gonzalez and yohan toribio have been suspended from school. officials say they are cooperating fully with the police. >> we want to assure our school community we are very concerned about the safety and wellness of all of our students and all possible steps are being taken to keep our students safe in school. >> of course, the charges in this case come just a few days after two high school football players in steubenville, ohio,

were convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl. two very different accounts of what happened when a wheelchair bound marine went through airport security in phoenix. his fellow marines say the tsa human humiliated him. a volunteer escort for the marine backs that up, saying the screener asked the marine to remove his prosthetic legs, then put them back on, stand up and then walk through the scanner. >> he cannot stand up by himself. and i tried to explain that. and they don't want to hear it. then i said, man, i'm sorry that has to happen to you. he just goes, you know what? get me the f out of here. >> surveillance video shows screeners did nothing wrong. they did not ask him to remove his prosthetics and they say the marine wanted to stand up. the tsa says all traveling wounded warriors should call airports ahead of time in order to speed up that security process. 18 minutes after the hour now. congress is getting involved in the growing controversy over the washington redskins team name. bipartisan bill introduced by

ten lawmakers would cancel the nfl team's trademark of the word "redskins." this measure comes at the same time a federal court considers a petition by a group of native americans to also cancel the trademark. nfl says the brand is not meant to offend. this debate has been going on for ages. the trademark debate i find interesting and it is very new. >> it happened in illinois also with one of the teams there. it was the same thing. they say there's no sensitivity. you've got to figure this out. 19 minutes past the hour. more people are flying. is the airline industry now in recovery? christine romans is live with that, next. [ man ] i got this citi thankyou card and started earning loads of points. we'll leave that there. you got a weather balloon, with points?

yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. go. ♪ keep on going in this direction. take this bridge over here. there it is! [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] earn points with the citi thankyou card and redeem them for just about anything. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply.

welcome back, everyone. we are minding your business. after hitting a new intraday record high, the dow is set to struggle today. the federal reserve is going to keep stimulating the economy with billions of dollars each month but today some caution ahead of a new report on jobless claims. >> interesting career advice for women from a major american female ceo. our christine romans has that for us. >> a lot of people buzzing about this this morning. what is that career advice? marry an older man, coming from the xerox ceo ursula burns.

she is the first african-american woman to run a rtune 500 company. she is the big leagues. speaking at a conference this week, she said the secret to success for women is to marry someone 20 years old. she was half joking here. she went on to say her husband is 20 years older than she s this helped her. when her job required her to start traveling and leave the kids at home, long meetings, a lot of time at the office, her husband was able to retire, take care of the kids. it's interesting. facebook's cheryl sandberg, who said the most important career advice a woman will make in her life is who her life partner is. so, from very successful women, be careful who you choose, because they're the one who is going to help you when you're out there, trying to climb the corporate ladder. >> i think that's probably the bigger, broader message. be careful who you choose as opposed to choose someone who is 20 years older than you are. >> i think choosing who you marry is a very big decision. >> it is.

i've interviewed a lot of successful women in corporate america, ceos or cfos and they have a life partner whose there, doing a lot of work around the house. i mean making sure the kids are getting raised, doing their homework and all that stuff. >> it is a partnership after all. >> it is. >> we're hearing a forecast that says the world's biggest carrier is expected to take in billions this year? >> aren't you so happy the airlines are making money? zoraida is like, why do i care the airlines are making money? >> the airlines are in recovery. they'll make $10.6 billion this year, $2 billion more than originally expected. biggest areas of strength in the asia-pacific region and north america. airlines tend to be tied to the economy. those are the areas we're seeing economic improvement. those airlines are recovering, too. overall, more people are flying, by the way. manufacturing is pick iing up, more cargo being transported. there have been major cost cuts in the form of mergers. and that's paying off. still, profit margins are very slim and jet fuel prices are up. it also may be no coincidence that we're hearing so many

reports of aggression in the air. international transport association says incidents of air rage rose in 2009 and 2010, berman. a rise of 27% from the year before. look at that guy. very bad day. bear in mind, those are only reported incidents. what gives? hln's dr. drew weighed in on this for us on why this is happening. >> we are all under tremendous economic stress these days. planes are now more loaded with people at closer quarters than ever. you can get a little bit of even brain swelling at very high altitudes, that can contribute to irritability. alcohol can contribute. >> there's usually alcohol involved when you hear of air rage.

dr. drew has some tips if air rage happens to you. >> if you feel yourself swelling up with anger, get out of your seat, talk to the staff. same thing if you see somebody else getting into a state. warn them about the alcohol being consumed, pull yourself out of the situation and let the pros take over. >> see, your natural thing would be, take a drink. >> what do we need to know about our money? >> tech jobs, turning up in unexpected places. new york, silicon valley, washington, d.c., still the top places for tech jobs. the biggest growth area for a tech job is st. louis, tech openings up to 25% in the last year. pay is rising, too. st. louis is becoming a start-up town. also on this list, charlotte, austin and phoenix. thank you, cnn money for that. >> very cool. >> thanks. >> i'm a very zen flier. >> i wondered why she was calling out your name.

>> i can't even imagine him having an air rage. reading business week. >> my brain doesn't swell. my feet do. 27 minutes after the hour. right now, president obama meeting with palestinian leader mahmoud abbas before they meet with the press. deer in the headlines. police officer gets a real shock when a deer he thought was dead leaps out of the trunk. >> oh, my goodness! >> we'll be back with that. alec, for this mission i upgraded your smart phone. ♪ right. but the most important feature of all is... the capital one purchase eraser. i can redeem the double miles i earned with my venture card to erase recent travel purchases. and with a few clicks, this mission never happened. uh, what's this button do? [ electricity zaps ] ♪ you requested backup?

yes. yes i did. what's in your wallet? just one bite ope yes i did. ♪ dreams of land meet sea, deliciously ♪

♪ friskies surfin' and turfin' faris.♪ ♪ feed the senses.

happening right now, president obama meeting with palestinian president mahmoud abbas just before they go before the press this morning. heated testimony in the woman accused of killing her ex-boyfriend. did the prosecution poke damaging holes in the defense psychologist's testimony? check this out. a doe that a police officer believed was dead leaps out of this trunk and gives him a huge scare. >> is that -- could that possibly be for real? >> it is. it looks like it's real. >> oh, my goodness. all right. welcome back to "early start." i'm john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. it's 32 minutes past the hour. happening right now, president obama in palestine meeting with mahmoud abbas. two rockets fired early this

morning, landing in the city of sderot. this happened while the president was in jerusalem, waiting to leave for the west bank. there are no reports of injuries. stuart holliday, president and ceo of a public diplomacy organization that works with the state department, formally a u.s. ambassador for political affairs to the united nations. let me first ask about these rocket attacks. they did happen while the president is in israel. a lot of people at first might find that a little bit alarming. is something like that in and of itself enough to send a bit of shockwaves through this diplomacy? >> not really. this is a tough neighborhood and i think both parties are used to seeing these kinds of things. it's a reminder, though, of the fact that gaza is controlled, of course, by hamas and today the president's meeting -- hamas, the president is meeting president abbas in ramallah. there has been a rivalry between these factions on the palestinian side.

there could be internal palestinian dynamics at play here. they will be looking, the israelis, of course, will be looking for some sort of statement, some sort of recognition by president abbas that this is obviously not to be tolerated. >> there's a diplomatic term we here, deliverables, meaning you will leave this trip, this journey with some kind of concrete statement, some kind of thing to hang your hat on saying we achieved this. the white house has made clear in this trip to the middle east, to the west bank, we are not expect to expect any deliverables. so what's the point? >> of course, on these trips, the unexpected can happen and speculati expectations are really dashed. these are difficult issues. however, in this trip, the president -- his first trip to israel since his re-election and actually as president was very significant to do at the beginning of his first term because the major issues he will face over the next two or three years are going to be in this

region. there's iran, syria, what happens in egypt. he has to go and meet face to face with the israelis. he has to recognize the historic nature of the alieps. and then he hopes to, with john kerry, of course, as secretary of state, restart some kind of dynamic with respect to the peace process. >> there was an interesting development reported in "the new york times" this morning. it says that the palestinian authority that president mahmoud abbas may no longer demand that israel publicly renounce settlements in the west bank as a precondition to going back to the negotiating table. i know that sounds complicated but essentially what's important for people to know here is that this seems as if the palestinian leader may be taking steps to get back to the table. is that how you read it? >> i do. obviously, that's the objective of secretary kerry. it would be very significant if that were to take place. i think the key word there is publicly. of course, there's an enormous amount of pressure in the new

israeli coalition to not make the palestinian issue the principle issue. lots of concerns and iran looms large. for the united states, of course -- and for a large part of the israeli population this is an issue that they're concerned if they don't act now that they could be missing the window for a two-state solution in the next two years. >> ambassador stuart holliday, former ambassador to the united nations, thank you. appreciate it. jessica yellin is traveling with the president and joins us now live from ramallah. president obama is meeting, as we were just discussing, with president abbas. the question is, what can they accomplish, or are we skrust waiting for secretary of state kerry to take over and get these dialogues moving? >> reporter: zoraida, i think it's -- we're waiting for secretary kerry to take over and get the dialogue moving, but the goal for the president today is to start by seeing what it will

take to get palestinians back to the negotiating table. you know, peace talks stalled in 2010. yesterday the president essentially said he did not come to the middle east with his own road map to peace because you wanted to listen to leaders in the region. he said his role today is to listen to palestinians. and i'm sure some republicans in congress will chuckle at that description of the president's role. zoraida? >> as a listener in chief on this trip. how much time is he actually spending there? is he giving equal time to israel and palestine on this trip? >> reporter: no, he is not. the focus of this trip really has been on israel and on healing any hurt feel iings wit the u.s.'s long-time ally. the president would not come to this region without visiting israel's essential partner for peace. the palestinians. so he's spending -- well, just a total of four hours in the west

bank, but a quality four hours, sitting down in these bilateral talks, lunch and taking a question from a reporter before he returns to jerusalem. he will spend, again, a total of four hours in the west bank. zoraida? >> jessica yellin, thank you very much. coming up on "starting point," we'll hear from hanan ashrawi. she has been a key player in the peace process for years and former senator george mitchell, also a key player in the peace process joins us as well. 38 minutes after the hour. court resumes in a few hours in the jodi arias trial. a spectator got sick and vomited in the courtroom. that will stop a trial. answering questions from jurors. arias is charged with murdering her ex-boyfriend, travis alexander. if found guilty, she could face the death penalty. chicago school system is

making big changes. not everyone is happy about it. ceo barbara byrd bennett announced under utilized schools will be closed to consolidate resources. providing a better learning condition like digital materials and libraries. opponents say the closings will unfairly target poorer neighborhoods. blaming a dead rat for latest troubles at a power plant slammed by the tsunami. a rodent cause aid short circuit that shut down cooling systems at the fukushima. >> nuclear rat. >> a rat. trending this morning for the first time, american academy of pediatrics is supporting same-sex marriage. the group says they studied scientific literature going back four years and say children's well-being is affected much more by the strength of family

relationships than by parents' sexual orientation. has voyager one left the solar system or not? one group of scientists said yes and celebrated the first man made craft to travel that far. nasa says no, it's in a magnetic highway. voyager left earth 35 years ago. look at this. objects in the trunk are closer than they appear. this is a real shocker for cops in kalamazoo, michigan, when they stopped a guy who said he hid a deer and took it home for food. when they popped the trunk, the deer popped out. surprise. obviously scared and determined not to be road kill, the deer fled the scene. can you imagine? >> i wonder why they stopped him and just happened to look in the trunk and find the deer. anyway -- could pope francis lead reform for the catholic church? why he may not oppose civil

unions, next. ♪ ♪

[ male announcer ] it was designed to escape the ordinary. it feels like it can escape gravity. ♪ the 2013 c-class coupe. ♪ starting at $37,800. ♪

help us all. christine romans with a look ahead of what's going on, on "starting point." we have the president minutes away from holding a live news conference from palestinian leader mahmoud abbas. we'll bring that to you live, along with instant reaction from the region and implications of the meeting with former homeland security chairman peter king. a manhunt in colorado as police try to find the person who murdered the chief of colorado's prisons in cold blood. the clues they're focusing on this morning and woel tell you the very latest from the

undersheriff of the county where he was killed. passionate plea from a 12-year-old speaking out for same-sex marriage. daniel lefew who was adopted with his sister by two gay fathers. the letter he wrote to supreme court justice john roberts and why he says john roberts' family is just like his. >> it was really interesting to see. >> it really was. >> okay, christine. >> you're welcome. middle ground on same-sex marriage. at the height of the same-sex marriage fight in argentina, 2010, archbishop bergoglio, now pope francis, got into a very public verbal battle with the country's president, calling her gay marriage bill a destructive attack on god's plan but privately pope francis' stance may have been very different. >> reporter: a cordial vatican meeting between the president of argentina and the new pope with the two argentines exchanging gifts. their get-together monday was in sharp contrast to the war of words between the two leaders

less than three years ago. in 2010, argentina was polar ied over a same-sex marriage bill supported by christina fernandez who called the church's actions against the measure, attitudes reminiscent of medieval time and the inquisition. then archbishop bergoglio called it an attack, destruction on god's plan. >> that's exactly what i'm doing as a catholic. >> reporter: some say the future pontiff was much more conciliatory than he appeared. at a catholic seminary near the capital, he says bergoglio told him in private in 2010 that he favored gay rights and went as far as saying he didn't oppose gay civil unions >> translator: he told me that he understands that homosexual

people should have their rights protected in society and that argentina was not ready for a gay marriage law but would favor a law granting civil unions. >> reporter: marquez says the meeting happened after he sent bergoglio this letter supporting the same-sex marriage bill. "new york times" reported wednesday that a private meeting of bishops also in 2010, cardinal bergoglio argued that they support civil unions for gay couples. >> the official added that while pope francis might have expressed such view while he was a cardinal, he should be given time to develop his policy position as pontiff. rafael romo, cnn, atlanta. we'll get reaction from cnn contributor father edward beck at 8:30 eastern. the heat get another win. the victory wasn't the only crazy moment on the court. that's next in our bleacher

report.

for over 75 years people ...with geico... ohhh...sorry!. director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw... for over 75 year...(laughs. but still trying to keep it contained) director's voice: keep it together. i'm good. i'm good. for over 75...(uncontrollable laughter). what are you doing there? stop making me laugh. vo: geico. saving people money for over seventy-five years. gecko: don't look at me. don't look at me. today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers.

in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime or in the middle of the night or drank alcohol that day. do not drive or operate machinery until at least 4 hours after taking intermezzo and you're fully awake. driving, eating, or engaging in other activities while not fully awake without remembering the event the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion.

alcohol or taking other medicines that make you sleepy may increase these risks. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. intermezzo, like most sleep medicines, has some risk of dependency. common side effects are headache, nausea, and fatigue. so if you suffer from middle-of-the-night insomnia, ask your doctor about intermezzo and return to sleep again. ♪ heat, won their 24th straight after mounting an amazing comeback. andy is here with the pleecher report. hey, andy. >> hey, guys. the heat are just now nine wins away for tying the lakers for the longest winning streak in nba history. keeping the streak alive last

night in cleveland was incredible. the game got off to an odd start. the scoreboard was leaking some sort of liquid. the delay must have affected the heat. they fell behind by 27 points. team trailing by 27 or more on the second half had come back to win only five times in 2,018 games coming into last night. once again, lebron would not be denied, led a furious comeback in the final 18 minutes of the game, finishing with a triple-double as the heat win in amazing fashion, 98-95, keeping their streak alive. one of the craziest moments is the number two story in the lineup on bleacherreport.com. a fan doning a "we miss you lebron quls" t-shirt ran on to the court in the fourth quarter but didn't rattle lebron. >> he said he missed me, come back please. and i didn't have much time to say much to him because the security got to him. but i just patted him on the

hea head. >> playing games for the big dance, lasalle having no problem with boise state. they'll play kansas state friday. rounding out the field of 64 will be james madison, dukes won their first tournament game in 40 years, taking care of liu brooklyn to earn them a match with one seed indiana. you should have your bracket filled out and ready to go for today's action. in case you had any hope of ending up with a perfect bracket, let me end that for you right now. the odds are one in over 9.2 quintillion. if all the people on the earth filled out one bracket per second it would take over 43 years to fill out every possible bracket. also if all possible brackets were stacked on top of each other, the pile would reach from the moon and back over 1.1 million times. now, if you do know anything about basketball, like 16 seeds

don't beat number one seed your odds actually increase from 1 to 128 billion. >> there's a lot of math there. >> somebody spent a lot of time putting that together, too. >> already, by the way, i've blown my entire bracket, two losses so far on just the play-in games. an andy, thanks for that. thanks for nothing, man! this just in to cnn. two police helicopters crashed in germany at berlin's olympic stadium. several people are hurt. rotors of the two choppers hit each other as they were landing. stay with cnn. we'll bring you more news as it comes in. president obama is in the west bank right now. the second stop on his visit to the middle east. we're waiting for a live news conference with him and palestinian president mahmoud abbas. earlier this morning, two rockets fired from gaza landed in the southern israeli city of sderot. it happened while the president was still in jerusalem, preparing to leave for ramallah. the attack caused property

damage as you're seeing there. we have no reports of any injuries. we may narrowly avoid a government shutdown with a few days to spare. expected to vet on a short-term budget measure today that would keep the government funded beyond march 27th. passing a six-month budget measure that keeps most of the across-the-board spending cuts in place. first lady michelle obama brought first dog bo and a basket of eggs with her. the south lawn tradition could be canceled if congress can't reach a deal to fund the federal government. i thought the easter egg roll was not in jeopardy. >> no. i think they're saying now it will go on and bo, the dog, has played a big roll in it, starring in a video promoting it. the nfl taking another step to cut down on concussions and head injuries. why are some players so angry about this rule change? we'll tell you. you're watching "early start."

chicken nuggets... what's going on? carrots...craveable. sabra hummus: dip life to the fullest. a regular guy with an irregular heartbeat. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed.

no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious, and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver